Family Matters: Who Lives Alone?
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Description: Family Matters: Who Lives Alone?
Family Matters: Who Lives Alone?
Nearly 4 million Canadians lived alone in 2016, more than double the number in 1981
| Percentage of population aged 15+ | Number of population aged 15+ | |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 9% | 1.7 million |
| 2016 | 14% | 4.0 million |
Among those 20 and older who lived alone in 2017:
- More than 7 in 10 had previously been in a married or common-law relationship
- Almost 2 in 10 were in a couple relationship with someone living in a different home
- 5 in 10 had at least one child in their lifetime
Among 20-34-year-olds living alone and not in a couple relationship in 2017:
- 60% said that they intended to marry or remarry
- 72% felt that they could live in a common-law relationship
Men and women were about equally as likely to live alone
Proportion of the population aged 15 and older in private households living alone, by sex, 2016
- Women: 15%
- Men: 13%
But women living alone were nearly twice as likely as men to be seniors
Proportion of the population living alone that is 65 years and older, by sex, 2016
- Women: 45%
- Men: 24%
Sources: General Social Survey (Families) 2017, Census of Population (1981 and 2016).
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